The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-02-20

The Rov. Mr.. Noycs abruptly deposited hi.
tumbler on the bar and answered, ~ should
smile!"
"Kin dieker with you, stroght'"
"Go ahead"
"First OF, preacher, my names Jim Mason,
| Half Circle Cross outfit. I don't make no six
shooter plays, and don't set up to be no bad
man from the Metcresi country, but this is
money Pm going to talk TO YOU, an II YOU ring
in any funny business you'll cough through
your ribs"
| "Go ahead"
"will you stop budgin' fer two or three days,
and take trip out Fort Laramie way with me
it's $40 day and $40 extry for the wear o.
! your tools, Bible and sich."
"Go ahead"
"My sister an her feler wants to git married.
You're to meet 'em at an empty ranch an hitch
| 'em"
"Shakc."
"Only you see this Teller has a grudge agin
| preachers. reckon one of em sinched him
playin' monte or somethin', an l might have
to hold him down like while you do the mar
ryin', so he can't crawl your hump"
81 think we understand each other, Mr.. Ma
SON.
"Al right. I'm gon' TO sleep with you to-
night, SOS to know you amt a-tlrnkin', an we
a little somethin' here first"
Don't you want to buy wedding rlng'"
"Ycs, l reckon do"
'Sell you the ticket for one cheap. Uncle
|
"Flx that In the mornin. Come to bed now.
/ amt slep in sheets fer n tarnation time. I'll
git you stiddy horse to ride out, preacher"
Mountain Lion ranch next day he was weary
and bruised but cheerful. "Quiet sort of place,
this!' he remarked. "You mightn't think It,
Mr.. Mason. but was once hermit. set up
cell about three miles out of San Francisco,
and people used to drive out there with offer
ings In the flush times, that was, and I've
had as many as four boxes of cigars brought to
me In one day."
"You wouldn't drive much NV a trade here"
said Jim grimly. 'You see this cabins on'y
used when the outfit gets round here on the
calf gather, and wants the corrals to brand in.
| Used to keep ranchman here to hinder fellers
from burnin' the corrnls for tlrin', but it's so
out o. the way they don't do It now. got the
hotel folks to put up ten lunches in this sack
one Nv 'em is fur the gal, but you kin tackle
the balance. I'll git fire In the stove fur you.
an then got TO light out again. You just eat
an pound yer ear till I stir youI,P agin to-morr:
smallpox, an run 'em OF. Reckon you won't
be bothered. Give me that flask out o. your
coat fust-'dyer think 1 wasn't on to 1t Well,
there amt 'nough 10 get tight on, guess. So
long, preacher"
AT midnight Jim reached Burton's ranch.
turned his tired and hungry pony into the pas
tnre, and picked his way into the bunk-room
through the groups of beds about the door.
Hairy Mike, who was sleeping by the stove,
rolled over and saluted him with "You back
ngain9 Stampede over there?
"Stampcdc nuthin'. Where's them waddlcs'
beds that went over with me ?"
SIN the corner where them brides is hangin'!"
and Mike went to sleep again, while Jim un-
strapped and rolled out a bed.
| In the morning he waited about the corral
until he saw Scranton, and then said "Say.
| Plugtooth was II you was wanting ter buy thet
| black horse o. French Charlottesville one as he
broke ter lep fences''
| "Yes."
"Well, ef you're kind o. slick about it, you
kin git him fer fifty. French owes me some
dust, an got to cit It, He's over ter Noun
tain Lion with the horse now; If you kin, come
right over an I'll git him to dicker. Only he
don't want none o. this Burton gang to know
nothin' bout IT till the horse is sold. He owes
| the ole man some stuff, b'lievc."
| Scranton's eyes glistencd black horse
was worth hundred, and he hastily saddlcd
pony They rode over to the Mountain Lion
together, Jim's horse beginning to need the
spur toward the end of the journey. Entering
the corral, they dismounted, and as Scranton
was about to pull the knot out of his ladigo
Jim Mason tossed the loop of his RATA over the
s'dudc's" shoulders, drawing 1t up so that
Scranton's arms were piniOned at his sides.
| "Quit your fooling.' said Scranton surly.
cts your fooIin' calcilate to stop, Plug
| tol from his scabbard, and stuck 1t in his own
belt. Then he wound the rawhide rope round
his hand, close up to the houdoo, and led his
captive into the log house.
SCOT some comp'ny for We, preacher
"Delighted !" said the Rev. Mr.. Noyes. GAS
| the locum tenens' of the diocesan of Mountain
Lion, welcome you to Its cloistcrs, my young
friend"
80 you've turned road agent, Jim Mason.
Take the fifty and let me go-you're new at the
business"
Jim pluckcd open the stove door with his
spurred heel, and thoughtfully spat in the fire:
"Violent language, my son!" exclaimed
NOyes "ff you are sincerely curious as to the
purpose of my presence here don't mind tell
| ing you that am here to soemnize--a funeral,
and that You are about the size of the corpse
required"
Jim looked up sharply, whistled line Of
''Never Take the Horseshoe from the Door,"
opened the stove door with the other heel,
pursed up his mouth tentatively, hesitated,
kicked the door In place again, and said:
SEE to the fifty, IN take IL when want IT,
Plugtootk. Ez TO my havin' turned road agent
l amt so sure what hey turned"
"Are yOu both crazy?"
"Oh, no, Plugtootl, we amt been eatin no
loco. Look here, you're goln to be left alone
here with this gen'l 'lman, an you're going to be
| tied up, which he amt. Now, PugtOoth, got
notion he's the sort o ornery chap thet If you
sass him will knock the stuifin out o. you-ez
long ez yer tied up. An II / was you I'd be
kinder perlte, wonld.'
Scranton swOre savagely, and the Rev. Mr..
Noyes expressed his reprobation of the practice
of profanity.
Snow I'm goin' TO tie him down on thet bench,
an then I've got to quit you one while.
Here's his pop, preacher, an II he wrgeles too
much chuck hunk o. wood at him, but don't
| shoot ef you can help 1t. And you kin talk to
him about anythin' not too excitin'. Savvy?"
"Perfectly."
San water him ef he gets dry"
| When Scranton had been carefully secured
Jim called Noyes TO one side and said:
"You don't want to try and square yourself
with the dude, preacher. Never change sides
in the middle NV fight. III you do I'll follow
you plumb to hell but what III git you"
~ quite believe it-you needn't worry about
that"
~ don't worry much.''
| "When will you be back with the lady ?r
"To-mar', reckon Don't say nothin' bout
her to him. Jest kinder amuse him lke-lics
an sich. SO long, preacher"
Jim saddled the hired horse aud rode over To
within two or three miles Of Burton's, and then
took the bride of, hitched the macarte on his
wrist, and wrapping himself In his oilskin
''slcker" slept soundly through the night,
scope of his tether. In the morning, an hour
after sunrise, he rode down to the ranch. The
men were all out oh the range, and after get
ting cup of coffee fom the cook Jim awaited
Developments. BY and by Helen Burton went
down TO the corral and he followed her She
said good morning, absently enough, and Iim's
heart failed him little. But he pulled himself
together.
"Miss Helen, you know that ScrantonY"
"Yes-yes,n
swell, he's over ter Mountain Lion, an he
wants ter know Of yer wouldn' like TO ride over
there with mcY"
SIS he Ill? Is
"Not 'zac'ly III, but he's got II fellow from
town over there. l reckon he wants you to-
well, j amt sure, but seems To me he's
preacher! Anywise he wants you TO come and
not TO say nothn'. WIN catch up with that
little blue % yourn and clap your null onto
himYh
"Thank you, yes, Oh, MS long way over.
Can get back
"Oh, that'll be all right
Helen Burton's clever little blue pony gave
the hired horse a sllG pull, and early In tho af-
tcrnoon they rode into tho corral at the Noun
tain Lion.
."Will you Just hold on here mint :" said
jim, and entered the house, where he released
Scranton.
snow, Puglooth, there's a dame comm In
here, an the preacher is goin' to marry you.
| AM I'm poIn' To look on through tho Wlndcr